News

Due to the unexpected and untimely death of Bruce Ehrle, the PCMS Board of Trustees has appointed previous director Sue Asher on an interim basis.
Employed by PCMS for many years, Sue served as Director of MBI, the association's for-profit subsidiary and Assistant Executive Director prior to being named Executive Director in 2000. She retired in June 2015.
She has been hired to continue the work of PCMS ensuring a smooth transition during this difficult time. She can be reached by email at SueA@pcmswa.org or at the office, 253.572.3667....

Sadly and unexpectedly, Executive Director Bruce Ehrle died on March 2nd in Puyallup, where he resided. He was admitted to Good Samaritan Hospital and diagnosed with Influenza A and pneumonia. He developed sepsis and was transferred to ICU where he was intubated and shortly thereafter coded. He was 53.
Bruce came to PCMS from the Washington DC area where he worked for many years. He was a lobbyist for Oregon Senator Ron Wyden from 1992-2004. He then worked for the American Health Quality Association from 2004-2014. He was hired by PCMS in June 2015. His knowledge of national health care issues and politics was impressive....

With the state's Balance Billing Protection Act having come in to effect on January 1, the Office of the Insurance Commissioner has established on-line resources to provide details. They may be found at this link:https://www.insurance.wa.gov/surprise-billing-and-balance-billing-protection-act
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With the first US case of Coronavirus being reported this morning in Everett, WA by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, PCMS is distributing links to a couple of CDC resources:Media release from earlier today:https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2020/p0121-novel-coronavirus-travel-case.htmlInformation for Healthcare Professionals:https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/guidance-hcp.html...

The 2019 Annual Meeting Banquet of the Pierce County Medical Society was conducted on Wednesday, December 11 at the Tacoma Art Museum. As attendees arrived they were greeted by the sounds of a quartet of the Tacoma Youth Symphony performing holiday favorites while the new Benaroya Galleries as well as the North Galleries displaying a temporary exhibit of Impressionist masters were open for viewing. Appetizers were served near the bar in the glass enclosed atrium looking out over downtown Tacoma....

During a week that had NAM release a report about provider burnout that highlighted the importance of physicians not feeling isolated, PCMS Members enjoyed the latest free member Collegial Social at the TRA Lounge in Tacoma on October 24.The event had an Oktoberfest theme with outstanding German style food and beers. The brats were so popular that only one was left by the end of the evening--and that one remained only because nobody wanted to be the person to take the last one....

The Nominating Committee of the Pierce County Medical Society respectfully puts forth the following slate of candidates for positions due for election to the PCMS Board of Trustees: One year terms of office--2020: Ann Goetcheus Gehl, MD--President-Elect--Primary Care/Family Medicine (Community Health Care) Dina Titova, MD--Vice President--Rheumatology (MultiCare) Courtney Kennel, DO--Secretary--Primary Care/Family Medicine Julian Arroyo, MD--Trustee (appointed by Board of Trustees to vacancy for term expiring in 2020, requiring election for the remainder of the term)--Orthopedics Two year term of office--2020/2021: C. Blake Perry, MD--Trustee--Plastic surgery Under the terms of the PCMS Bylaws, additional nominations may be submitted by petition....

This week, the National Academy of Medicine released a 312 page report examining causes of burnout for health care providers and recommending solutions, many of which PCMS is already advocating for with policymakers to get at the root causes of stress and depression....

The US Department of Health and Human Services has just released new guidance relating to tapering patients off opioids. The five page document was written by a work group with members from CDC, NIH, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration among other agencies within HHS....

Jane Beyer, Senior Health Policy Advisor to the Washington State Insurance Commissioner, joined the PCMS Board of Trustees for its meeting on Tuesday, October 1. During the two-hour session, she provided the PCMS Leadership with information about implementation of the state’s new Balance Billing Protection Act and engaged in lively dialog about that topic as well as access to care including the state’s new public health insurance option. She noted that Washington State will not be allowing the so-called “skinny plans” recently permitted to operate by the federal government again for the first time since prior to the enactment of the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). Those plans have lower premiums with very little coverage except for catastrophic events and frequently siphon younger, hea...

PCMS President Aaron Pace, MD and PCMS Trustees Nicholas Rajacich, MD and Dina Titova, MD as well as PCMS Executive Director Bruce Ehrle met with US Representative Denny Heck for nearly an hour in his district office in Lakewood on Tuesday, October 1 to advocate on behalf of the Society’s membership. Rep....

Members of the Pierce County Medical Society and the Pierce County Chapter of AAFP gathered on the evening of Thursday, August 15 at the TRA Lounge in Tacoma for a barbeque buffet from Famous Dave's with all the fixin's. The weather provided a perfect evening for taking advantage of the outdoor terrace's picnic tables. Established physician members were able to welcome medical residents in the county and their paid registrations helped underwrite the free dinner provided to the residents.Raffle prizes for a night out each consisting of a $25 gift card to Farrelli's and a $25 gift card to Cinemark Century Theaters were awarded to two residents....

On the evening of Monday, June 10, wine enthusiasts in the PCMS Membership gathered for a "California Uncorked" tasting in the classroom at Total Wine and More in Puyallup. The instructor talked about California's leading role in global wines coming out of the United States noting that if California were a nation of its own, its production of wine would rank fourth in the world behind France, Italy, and Spain. He reviewed the history of the California wine industry from its beginnings by Spanish missionaries in what is now Orange County to the present where expansion is still underway in new growing areas north of the famed counties of Napa and Sonoma which he discussed in detail due to their individual high quality AVAs....

The PCMS School Health Public Health Committee comprises representatives of the Society and Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department as well as all the school nurses from across Pierce County. Those nurses continue to stress that it helps them perform their duties and helps schools get off to a strong start in the fall if physicians and PAs reach out to their patients about immunizations sooner rather than later over the summer. They also suggest that practices conduct immunization clinics or fairs to help get those shots taken care of before busy family schedules push up against the start of school in the fall....

On the evening of June 4, State Sen. Jeannie Darneille of the 27th District that includes most of Tacoma, a majority member of the State Senate's Behavioral Health Subcommittee, met with the PCMS Board of Trustees and Executive Director Bruce Ehrle for 90 minutes. The discussion focused primarily on behavioral health issues at a time when primary care physicians are being tasked with behavioral health care integration, when pediatricians and family practitioners are spending more time than ever on behavioral health issues in a challenging reimbursement environment, and when ER physicians are still dealing with patients who would be better off getting care in more appropriate and cost effective settings. Sen....

The inaugural PCMS Free Collegial Social in partnership with TRA Medical Imaging was conducted at the TRA Lounge on Mildred Street in Tacoma on the evening of April 25. The event was another offering by the Society targeted to provide members with an opportunity to visit with each other at a time when physicians are noting that they often feel isolated from each other. There was no charge to attend. A dinner buffet from Olive Garden featuring plenty of salad, pastas, sauces, meatballs, chicken, Italian sausage, breadsticks, and desserts was served along with fine wines, beer, and soft drinks....

With the state legislative session underway and behavioral health expected to be a major topic of deliberation, PCMS Executive Director Bruce Ehrle headed to Olympia on Thursday, February 7.While there he met with State Rep. Laurie Jinkins, a majority member of the House Health Care and Wellness Committee. Rep....

A bald eagle animal ambassador from the Point Defiance Zoo was the regal guest of honor at the Reception for this week's PCMS Annual Meeting. Attendees were able to view the national symbol of the United States up-close and ask questions of handlers about the magnificent bird. Having the bald eagle appear at the event afforded an opportunity for PCMS members to see one of the most stunning examples of a species brought back from the brink of extinction by a fellow species on Earth--human beings....

On the evening of Wednesday, December 5, Pierce County Medical Society conducted its Annual Meeting at the brand new Pacific Seas Aquarium in the Point Defiance Zoo. The event served as a 130th birthday celebration for the organization. As attendees and speakers marked the occasion of thirteen decades of physicians and PAs caring for patents in Pierce County, stewardship was a common theme when referring to the community-based professional organization that represents them. Outgoing President Khash Dehghan thanked the 2018 PCMS Board of Trustees and noted their contributions toward stewardship helping to make the Society a robust example of a county medical society in the State of Washington and the nation. He also thanked the membership for their continued support and stewardship....

The Washington Medical Commission has adopted opioid prescribing rules that are effective January 1, 2019. It is important that physicians familiarize themselves with these new rules. Below are links to several toolkits from the Commission that will assist in that process....

The 2018 Annual Meeting of the Pierce County Medical Society will take place on Wednesday, December 5, 5:30-9:00pm at the Point Defiance Aquarium in Tacoma. The evening will be the 130th Birthday Party for PCMS!!
Attendees will be able to visit the newly re-opened aquarium facility to see the renovated exhibits and tickets to Zoo Lights will also be provided to all attendees to add to the festive evening. A special guest at the event will be the national symbol of the United States, a Bald Eagle that serves as an animal ambassador for the Point Defiance Zoo. ...

At a recent WAMPAC/AMPAC lunch in Auburn also attended by PCMS Vice President Nicholas Rajacich, MD, Executive Director Bruce Ehrle raised a number of pressing issues in need of aggressive consideration by Congress with Kim Schrier, MD. Schrier is the Democratic candidate in the open 8th Congressional District race. The district includes the eastern section of Pierce County. ...

The 2018 PCMS & WAFP Pierce County Chapter Membership Picnic and Medical Resident Social was held on the evening of Thursday, August 16. The weather cooperated perfectly for the event at the Pagoda in Point Defiance Park in Tacoma with clear skies and moderate temperatures.
The event provided another opportunity for physicians who are noted in recent national media coverage as feeling increasingly isolated from their patients and each other to share collegiality in an informal atmosphere sponsored by their local membership organizations. ...

During an event in University Place on the evening of July 9, 2018, US Representative Denny Heck (D-WA) listened as PCMS Executive Director Bruce Ehrle raised several issues on behalf of the membership. He emphasized that it is important for Congress to have a mindset moving forward that there are still many challenges for all sectors of the health care system in America including those providing care and noted the high levels of stress in the physician profession. Several examples of federal policy areas that need consideration were articulated including patient access to care through potential deductible assistance since having insurance that is unaffordable to use creates barriers to physicians and other providers, getting insurance companies to cover more of the prescription drugs and...

The strong relationship between the Pierce County Medical Society and Community Health Care has taken another step with PCMS Executive Director Bruce Ehrle being named as Vice Chair of the CHC Medical Resident Education Committee that oversees the residency program at CHC's five large clinics.
Community Health Care is a Federally Qualified Health Center that treats over 150,000 patients per year regardless of their insurance status or ability to pay. Like other FQHCs, CHC is an important safety net provider.
Their clinics offer a full range of services including primary and preventive care, dentistry, urgent care, and behavioral health. They also have in-house imaging and pharmacy services. ...

Pierce County has expended free medicine take-back locations and services through MED-Project.
The project offers kiosk locations and postage-paid return envelopes for the safe return and disposal of unwanted medicine to all Pierce County residents.
The kiosks accept drugs sold in any form including prescriptions, over-the-counter medications, controlled substances, and pet medications.
Disposal of such medications can limit drug abuse, prevent accidental poisoning, and protect the environment.
More information including kiosk locations can be found at MED-Project.org
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Board Member David Swedler, DO and Executive Director Bruce Ehrle have been selected to leadership positions at the Tacoma Trauma Trust. The Trust oversees the operations of the combined Level II Trauma Center at CHI Fransiscan St. Joseph Medical Center and MultiCare Tacoma General Hospital. The trama center provides critical care emergency services to the entire South Sound region of the State of Washington. Dr....

On the evening of Tuesday, June 5, the PCMS Board of Trustees and Executive Director Bruce Ehrle met with State Rep. Laurie Jinkins, a senior majority member of the Health Care and Wellness Committee in the Washington State House of Representatives. Rep. Jinkins represents the 27th Legislative District that includes most of Tacoma. She kindly offered more than an hour of her time to discuss issues of importance to physicians and PAs in Pierce County....

PCMS Members and their guests gathered together this evening of May 2, 2018 at the Rooftop Terrace and Ballroom of the Landmark Convention Center in Tacoma for a wine tasting led by Paul Gregutt of Wine Enthusiast magazine, considered the preeminent expert about Pacific Northwest wines. Paul returned to Pierce County two years after his initial wine tasting for PCMS in 2016. Attendees were guided through three flights of Washington wines noted for their high quality and high value--a flight of three Rieslings, a fight of three red blends and Cabernets, and a flight of three Syrah wines that Washington is gaining increased attention over including having a Washington Syrah named #2 wine in the entire world last year by Wine Spectator....

As part of the Pierce County Medical Society’s advocacy efforts to represent the interests of physicians and PAs, Executive Director Bruce Ehrle raised the following points at a recent fundraiser for US Representative Derek Kilmer (D-WA) at the home of PCMS Vice President Nicholas Rajacich, MD and co-hosted by among others, PCMS President Khash Dehghan, MD:...

The Pierce County Medical Society celebrates its 130th birthday in 2018. It is an indication of the longevity of the physician profession in our community, in our nation, and in our civilization that PCMS was founded the year before Washington was admitted as a state and like the Evergreen State itself, has evolved over the nearly century and a half of its existence to meet the ongoing changes that never cease taking place.
Even as the Society has maintained its founding tradition of being the professional organization in Pierce County for physicians and PAs, its mission and goals have consistently been nimble so that it may forever work toward that profession being successful, robust, and valued. ...

The 2017 Annual Meeting of the Pierce County Medical Society was conducted during the evening of December 6 at the Tacoma Country and Golf Club. Attendees were greeted by festive decorations and holiday music performed by members of the terrific Tacoma Youth Symphony. Gifts for women and children were dropped off for distribution to the YWCA Shelter in Tacoma. Raffle prizes consisting of Harry and David products as well as gift cards to the Lobster Shop were drawn for. Outgoing PCMS President Steven Litsky, MD thanked members of the 2017 Board of Trustees, noted those with tenure carrying over to 2018, and thanked Brian Mulhall, MD and Susan McDonald, MD for their service as they depart the Board. He presented the gavel to incoming President Khash Dehghan, MD who welcomed new members...

PCMS Member Mark Grubb, MD of Woodcreek Healthcare began his tenure today as the new Chair of the PCMS Public Health School Health Committee, taking over those duties from Dr. Sara Scranton of Pediatrics Northwest. Dr. Larry Larson, also of Pediatrics Northwest, had been Chair for many years prior to Dr. Scranton....

PCMS Executive Director Bruce Ehrle has assumed the duties of President of Pierce County Project Access for a two-year term that began today, September 27, 2017.
As part of its ongoing community engagement activities, PCMS works closely to support the endeavors of Pierce County Project Access as that organization seeks to provide full access to health care for the citizens of the community through offering assistance for Affordable Care Act insurance premiums and coordinating donated care from generous physicians to patients in need. The joint PCMS/PCPA health literacy initiative announced earlier this year is one example of how both organizations seek to utilize their strengths and capacities to achieve positive outcomes. ...

PCMS members gathered on Thursday, August 17 to share a perfect Pacific Northwest summer evening at Titlow Lodge and Park in Tacoma. A prime purpose of the evening was also to welcome PCMS Medical Resident members, their guests, and families for collegiality. ...

PCMS Executive Director Bruce Ehrle served as a panelist this evening for a health care forum in Tacoma sponsored by the Indivisible organizations of Gig Harbor, Tacoma, and Puyallup designed to examine the next steps in health care policy and the impacts of federal action at the state and local levels. Other panelists included Washington State Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler, State Senator Karen Keiser, and Pierce County Council Member Derek Young. The event was moderated by PCMS Member Dr. Nathan Schlicher, an emergency department physician for CHI Franciscan. ...

The Pierce County Medical Society hosted a WSMA meeting with State Representative Joe Schmick, the Ranking Member of the Washington House Health Care and Wellness Committee as well as staff from the State House Republican Caucus to discuss cost drivers in health care. Attendees included WSMA Board Members and Staff as well as PCMS Executive Director Bruce Ehrle. The meeting took place on Monday, August 14 at the PCMS office building in Tacoma. The group discussed a wide variety of factors that contribute to the ongoing high costs of health care in the United States including a lack of health literacy on the part of patients that leads to acute conditions being treated in the most expensive care settings such as the ED due to failure to establish relationships with primary care providers...

The special guest of honor and speaker at this year’s PCMS Annual Meeting will be Medal of Honor recipient and Navy SEAL, Senior Chief Special Warfare Operator Edward Byers, Jr. Senior Chief Byers received the Medal of Honor for his actions during a SEAL team mission on December 8, 2012 in Afghanistan to rescue an American civilian internal medicine physician who was participating in a medical mission to assist the people of that nation and who had been abducted by the Taliban on his way to a rural clinic. The background on that mission and the citation read at the White House ceremony where President Obama made the presentation of the Medal of Honor to Senior Chief Byers are included below....

On Monday, July 10, US Representative Dave Reichert reconvened his Healthcare Advisory Committee in Wenatchee to continue discussions about efforts in Congress to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. Rep. Reichert is one of four Representatives that represent sections of Pierce County. As a senior Republican on the House Ways and Means Committee, Rep. Reichert is influential in crafting health care policy on the majority side of the aisle in that chamber. With the effort to repeal and replace ACA (Obamacare) currently facing uncertainty in the US Senate (a key test vote is expected next week), Rep....

As PCMS Executive Director Bruce Ehrle continues to report back to his contacts in the nation’s capital in Congress, at HHS, and at CMS about one of the most important practice success and community engagement activities for the Society—improving population health in Pierce County that will lead to provider success in meeting new quality and payment metrics tied to overall patient outcomes—he has received favorable feedback from government leaders about the efforts that the Pierce County Medical Society is making in these areas. Here is a 2017 mid-year report:
Social Determinants of Health...

The Pierce County Medical Society and Pierce County Project Access are launching a joint long term effort to improve health literacy among the county's citizens across all demographics and patient populations. Both organizations will be working with health care providers including independent practices, CHI Franciscan, and MultiCare to learn about their own endeavors in this regard with their patient populations. The goal of these efforts will be to augment best practices to steer more patients to the right physicians and correct care settings to improve the quality of appropriate care, raise population health standards, and reduce costs. It has been estimated by front line hospital staff that as many as 80% of the patients in emergency departments at any given time are not in need of e...

United States Representative Dave Reichert convened a meeting of his Healthcare Advisory Committee in Seattle on Tuesday, February 21 while he is home from the nation’s capital for the Presidents Day Recess. The purpose of the meeting was to explore health insurance reform options at a time when he is helping to draft legislation to repeal, repair, and/or replace the Affordable Care Act as one of the senior Republican majority members of the US House Ways and Means Committee that oversees health and tax policy. As a member of the advisory committee, PCMS Executive Director Bruce Ehrle attended and participated in the deliberative session during which he stressed the following points:...

As part of its ongoing mission to promote the successful practice of medicine and the well-being of the public, on Tuesday, February 7 the Pierce County Medical Society convened the inaugural meeting of the PCMS Social Determinants of Health Workgroup. This workgroup will explore the best methods to provide continuing education to the physician community of Pierce County about the importance of social determinants such as housing, nutritious food, economic opportunity, and transportation on the overall health outcomes for patients. It will also seek to devise a menu of choices based on best practice for physicians to utilize to successfully address social determinants with their patients in a manner that is least disruptive to current workflow and that is least burdensome during a time o...

The South Sound Military and Communities Partnership conducted the Inaugural Military and Civilian Health Care Provider Forum in Lakewood on October 26, 2016. PCMS played a leading role in the forum that was filled to capacity with Executive Director Bruce Ehrle serving as master of ceremonies and moderating the event. He was also heavily involved with the planning of the forum as Vice Chair of the Partnership’s Health Care Working Group. President Brian Mulhall, MD, offered two presentations as part of the program including speaking about his experiences as a Madigan physician earlier in his career, caring for military personnel and their dependents now as a civilian physician, how Pierce County is an ideal place to seek collaboration between the military and civilian provider communit...

Dr. Patrick Conway, Deputy Administrator and Chief Medical Officer of CMS, spoke to members of the Pierce County Medical Society on June 17, 2016 about transformation of the health care system on a PCMS Practice Success Forum webinar....

On a pleasant summer evening atop the Landmark Convention Center in Tacoma, members of the Pierce County Medical Society joined in a collegial opportunity on June 8 to taste wines suggested by Paul Gregutt, a contributing editor for Wine Enthusiast magazine, former columnist for the Seattle Times, and author of the authoritative book on Washington wines, "Washington Wines and Wineries: The Essential Guide". After arriving for a reception that included hot and cold foods as well as a chilled rose of Pinot Noir from Oregon, attendees were seated classroom style to taste a flight of Oregon wines known for their high quality and value including a Pinot Gris and three Pinot Noirs of differing price points. Following a break that permitted PCMS members and their guests to take in the view fro...

Pierce County Medical Society President Dr. Brian Mulhall, Treasurer Dr. Aaron Pace, and Executive Director Bruce Ehrle met with United States Representative Dave Reichert on June 1, 2016 to advocate for physician and PA members of the Society.
Rep. Reichert is a senior member of the US House Ways and Means Committee that includes health care within its jurisdiction and who represents Washington’s 8th Congressional District that includes eastern Pierce County. He and PCMS leaders spent 45 minutes discussing a wide variety of issues. ...

Please hold Wednesday, July 20, 12:15-1:00pm for a PCMS Practice Success Forum webinar featuring Jacques Colon, Health Equity Coordinator for the Tacoma Pierce County Health Department. Working in the Office of the Director of Health (Dr....

As health care providers journey deeper in to an era that focuses on improving population health and patient outcomes across delivery settings, one of the integrations that is being sought is an important one between physical health and behavioral health. Physicians and PAs, whether they be in small to large independent practices or in large health systems, are faced on a daily basis with the need to treat patients with both physical and behavioral health issues. Treatment of conditions such as depression in primary care is faced with challenges. The State of Washington will be mandating that physicians be formally trained about suicide prevention. Access to experienced prescribers for drugs to treat behavioral health and timely referrals for ongoing treatment have barriers attached to...

This week CMS released its proposed rule to implement the Quality Payment System consisting of the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) and the Advanced Alternative Payment Models (APMs). This system was passed in to law last year as part of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA) that among other things fixed the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) problem that annually had left physicians facing over 20% cuts in Medicare reimbursement. The law moves the federal payment/reimbursement system away from fee-for-service and toward a system based on payment for quality and value such as patient outcomes across settings of care. MIPS and the APMs will replace and consolidate all other federal reporting and quality reimbursement initiatives such as PQRS and the Value...

PCMS Executive Director Bruce Ehrle has been named Vice Chair of the Health Care Working Group for the South Sound Military and Communities Partnership, dedicated to collaboration on health care issues between the civilian and armed forces communities of the region by bringing together leaders from the military, VA, and civilian organizations and agencies. ...

Pierce County Medical Society President Brian Mulhall, MD and Executive Director Bruce Ehrle have sent communications on behalf of the Society to members of the Congressional delegation representing the State of Washington strongly advocating that federal funding be provided for the Alliance for South Sound Health initiative launched by CHI Franciscan and MultiCare to jointly build a new behavioral health hospital in Tacoma.
Given the lack of behavioral health capacity in the State of Washington and in Pierce County it was stressed how vital this new facility will be toward improving population health in the community, providing patients the mental health resources they need, and being part of a larger effort to give these fellow citizens the dignity they deserve. ...

Despite an electrical power failure during a thunderstorm on March 1, 2016 the Pierce County Medical Society Board of Trustees continued to meet and conduct business in the spirit of those who founded the organization in 1888, albeit with a little assistance from 21st Century technology. In the accompanying photo, PCMS Executive Director Bruce Ehrle discusses current initiatives with the Board of Trustees using candlelight and a smartphone flashlight.
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As part of its priority activities relating to practice success, the Pierce County Medical Society is launching the PCMS Practice Success Forum.
The Forum will focus on conducting webinars and conference calls for PCMS Members with elected leaders such as Members of Congress, state legislators, and their staffs, those across the country advancing quality improvement and navigating payment reform as well as evolution of the delivery system, and government policymakers including at the national level (CMS, think tanks, etc.), state level (Department of Health and Department of Labor and Industries), and local level (Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department)....

Dr. Sara Scranton of Pediatrics Northwest has teamed up with the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department in videos to promote awareness and best practices relating to the use of antibiotics. With overuse of antibiotics now acknowledged as leading to antibiotic resistance, the spread of information about proper use of antibiotics is crucial. Dr....

Community Health Care welcomed Pierce County Medical Society Executive Director Bruce Ehrle for a tour of their Hilltop Family Medical Clinic in Tacoma on January 13, 2016. During the tour conducted by CHC staff leaders he was shown the multiple care delivery centers at the facility that assist many patients in Pierce County including those on Medicaid and ACA policies such as the urgent care, dental clinic, pharmacy, and Ryan White HIV Program as well as the community outreach program that connects patients with other resources they need such as social service assistance. Following the tour, he was presented with a 2016 membership dues check to PCMS for physicians and PAs working at all CHC facilities throughout Pierce County....

Pierce County Medical Society Executive Director Bruce Ehrle testified on behalf of the Society at the November 18 meeting of the Tacoma-Pierce County Board of Health in strong support of proposed regulations concerning e-cigarettes. ...

The Pierce County Medical Society will receive a docent led tour of the galleries at the Museum of Glass on Saturday, November 7. The museum is at 1801 Dock Street on the downtown Tacoma waterfront. Parking is available in a garage under the museum with an elevator leading directly to the entrance. PCMS members attending the afternoon at the Museum of Glass may arrive at 12noon to share social time over lunch in the museum's café and to get their entrance tickets ($15 adults, $13 AAA members, $12 62 years of age and over, Free for museum members). The docent led tour for PCMS will begin at 1pm and last until 2:15pm. The tour will be highlighted by "Chihuly's Venetians: The George R....

On September 4, Pierce County Medical Society Vice President Dr. Nicholas Rajacich, Treasurer Dr. Khash Dehghan, and Executive Director Bruce Ehrle met with US Representative Derek Kilmer of Washington's 6th District at his office in Tacoma about topics of importance to physicians in our county. ...

The Pierce County Medical Society has launched the PCMS Newsline as an additional benefit of membership in the Society.
The Newsline will feature periodic items of interest to physicians from major sources that relate to broad health care topics so that busy members of the Society have an additional resource to quickly turn to in order to be aware of how certain stories that pertain to their profession are being covered in the national media which so often influences policymaking....

Great news!! Members can now pay their dues online. To do so, just log on, if you're not already, click the down arrow in the right upper corner next to your photo (you have uploaded a photo if we don't have one, haven't you?) then select Pay Dues. You may pay by credit card or check. It's fast, you'll have easily accssible records of your payments, and you'll save postage....

As of the afternoon of the 12th of November 2013, the new Pierce County Medical Society website is open to members and the public!!!
Read the recent Bulletins to learn about some of the history of how we made it to this day....

Hello, members! As you are logging on to the website for the first time, please click the blue Help button in the right upper corner to watch the video when you can spare 15 minutes. I know it's a little long, but it's important you understand how things function. Since the film was made, we have added the ability to list a specialty on your profile, but not have it show on the Physician Search page. This is probably what most specialists will want to do. If you are a cardiologist, for example, you can show on you profile that you are board certified in Internal Medicine and Cardiology, but set it so your name won't come up if patients are looking for an internist. Also there are a lot of functions on the site you may miss exploring on your own....